Vanguard Community Development Corporation marks 30 years of transforming Detroit’s North End
Thirty years ago, Bishop Edgar Vann of Detroit’s Second Ebenezer Church founded the Vanguard Community Development Corporation with the simple goal of providing after-school programs for local youths. Today, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization’s mission has expanded to all matters of community development and engagement, including affordable housing and commercial development. Vanguard will celebrate its anniversary…
Controversy over Trump event leads to Livingston County’s sheriff resignation from nonprofit board
Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy has stepped down from his position on a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for victims of sexual and domestic abuse in the wake of his controversial decision to host former President Donald Trump at the sheriff’s office last month. The Michigan Bureau of Elections is investigating Murphy after Metro Times…
The Funky Ferndale Art Fair returns this month with edgy art and unique activities
Eccentric art created by over 140 artists from across the country will be on display later this month at the 20th annual Funky Ferndale Art Fair. The award-winning juried show will take place on the streets of downtown Ferndale from Sept. 20-22, coinciding with Ferndale’s DIY Street Fair. The Funky Ferndale Art Fair will feature…
Detroit’s Gathering Coffee Co. hosts one last gathering before closing permanently
Sadly, this is the last week for Gathering Coffee Co. in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood. Before the community cafe leaves, though, it’s hosting one last gathering this Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The two-day event will feature live jazz music, spoken word poetry performances, artist pop-ups, an open mic, and food from beloved…
French bulldog rescued from abandoned Detroit home a year after he went missing
Leo, a two-year-old French bulldog, went missing from a yard in Dearborn in August 2023, and his owner had all but given up on ever seeing him again. Then late last month, the Detroit Animal Care and Control received a tip about a dog left inside a boarded-up, deteriorating home on the city’s east side.…
Lapointe: Summer playground memories on Detroit’s east side
When playground director Gene Kelty umpired softball games at Hansen Field in the 1960s, he left no doubt about the location of a good pitch. “Stee-RIKE!” he’d call in a voice that carried across the street on Drexel and off the brick walls of St. Martin of Tours church, school, convent, and rectory in Detroit’s…
Michigan Renaissance Festival’s Viking Invasion event returns Labor Day weekend
If you don’t have Labor Day Weekend plans yet, this may be your lucky day. The Michigan Renaissance Festival is bringing back its three-day Viking Invasion event from Saturday, Aug. 31 through Monday, Sept. 2. Attendees of all ages are encouraged to wear Viking-themed attire and enjoy a variety of competitions, live entertainment, and activities.…
Michigan regulators settle civil rights case over environmental racism in Detroit
Environmental activists reached a “groundbreaking settlement” with Michigan regulators following a civil rights complaint over the state’s disproportionate licensing of hazardous waste facilities in predominantly Black, brown, and lower-income neighborhoods. The settlement, announced Thursday, also addresses the approval of a significant expansion of U.S. Ecology North, a hazardous waste facility in Detroit, which has sparked…
Jack White blasts Trump’s campaign as ‘fascists,’ threatens lawsuit for using his song in a video
Detroit rocker Jack White slammed Donald Trump, calling him “scum” and his team “fascists,” after the Republican’s presidential campaign used a clip of White’s hit “Seven Nation Army” on a pro-Trump social media post. White said he’s suing the campaign “to add to your 5 thousand others” after Trump’s deputy director of communications, Margo Martin,…
Black-owned Sports Rap Radio in Detroit pulls plug less than 3 months after launching
Less than 90 days after its launch, Detroit-based Sports Rap Radio, touted as the nation’s first sports-talk radio station completely owned by and featuring African American talent, has come to an end — for now. Rob Parker, a well-known sports radio host with roots in Detroit, launched Sports Rap Radio in early June, with the…
Savage X Fenty by Rihanna opens first Michigan store in Detroit
Detroit will soon welcome Michigan’s first Savage X Fenty store, the globally renowned lingerie and apparel brand by singer and businesswoman Rihanna known for “championing inclusivity, fearlessness, and confidence.” The new store will be located at 1442 Woodward Ave. in Detroit, a space owned by Bedrock, near other downtown shopping spots like H&M, Nike, and…
Why Shawarma’s House in Westland is making superior chicken shawarma
Shawarma’s House first came on my radar while driving back to Detroit after a long hike west of Ann Arbor. Famished after 10-miles in the woods, I craved protein, wanted it in chicken shawarma form, and it had to be from a shop close to Interstate 96. The option with the best Google reviews in…
Families and exonerees rally against former Detroit detective accused of misconduct, wrongful convictions
Protesters gathered outside the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, calling for an independent and extensive review of all cases handled by a former Detroit detective accused of putting innocent Black men behind bars for two decades. Demonstrators also urged Prosecutor Kym Worthy to file charges against retired Detective Barbara Simon for allegedly committing perjury…
Going ‘Cuckoo’: Three dud movies
As someone who has spent a majority of his life writing, acting, rehearsing, and basically doing anything and everything I can to make it into the motion picture industry, I can’t bring myself to be cynical about movies, even while knowing there’s lots of cynicism to spread around. While it’s easier now to make a…
Faygo to debut new flavor at Arts, Beats & Eats
Local Faygo fans have a chance to try the Detroit-based pop company’s latest flavor before anyone else. Faygo plans to debut its new “Jolly Green Apple” at this weekend’s Arts, Beats & Eats festival in downtown Royal Oak. According to a press release, “Jolly Green Apple mimics green apple candy flavor just in time for…
The recovering addict helping to save lives in Oakland County’s overdose crisis
On June 8, 2023, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) posted a message on social media saying that it had responded to an unusually high volume of calls reporting suicide attempts and overdoses in a 48-hour period. “Many people are facing great personal challenges and there is help available,” the post read. The message came…
Free Will Astrology (Aug. 28-Sept. 3)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Although there are over 7,000 varieties of apples, your grocery store probably offers no more than 15. But you shouldn’t feel deprived. Having 15 alternatives is magnificent. In fact, most of us do better in dealing with a modicum of choices rather than an extravagant abundance. This is true not just…
